In Sevastopol, former and current service members of the naval detachment of the volunteer unit "Espanola" have been arrested at the request of the military investigation. They are accused of illegal trafficking of weapons and explosives.

According to the source, the defendants are charged with several counts under Part 6 of Article 222 of the Russian Criminal Code (illegal trafficking of weapons and ammunition committed by a group of persons) and Part 6 of Article 222.1 (illegal trafficking of explosives and explosive devices committed by a group of persons). These charges carry penalties of up to 20 years in prison.

The criminal case is being handled by the Main Military Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia. The investigation aims to identify all accomplices to the crimes, locate caches of weapons, ammunition, and explosives, and interrogate witnesses and officials of the naval detachment.

One of the defendants, a father of four, pleaded guilty and entered into a pre-trial cooperation agreement, but the court refused to release him to house arrest. The investigation maintains its position, stating that not all members of the criminal group have been identified, and weapons caches must be found to piece together the full picture.

The Espanyola Brigade was formed in 2014 and consisted primarily of football fans. Its founder, Stanislav Orlov (call sign "Spaniard"), died in 2025, after which the brigade's disbandment was announced. Some fighters joined the Russian Ministry of Defense's volunteer corps. The Espanyola naval detachment, according to its founder, was created to defend the Crimean coast and combat enemy unmanned boats using FPV drones.